Taxidermy Nightmare!

This past Winter while hunting in West Texas I shot my first fox. He was so pretty (leave me alone I am a girl and I can say he was pretty). He was even considered large for Texas according to my Taxidermist. I had used this guy before for a bobcat mount for my husband as well as his buck from the previous season. We dropped off my fox in early December and was told April it would be ready since I wanted a full body mount. Then on the last day of deer season my husband shoots a huge 10 point with a 22 inch neck at a place he has hunted his entire lift, public property. So we take the buck in to the same guy. He tells us on the deer about November since it was so late in the season. In May I still had not heard from the Taxidermist.... We kept calling but no call back. Then June... then yesterday my husband goes there while I am at work. I had already told him that something happened to my fox and he didn’t want to tell me.
SURE ENOUGH!!! The guys Freezer system went out! MY FOX WAS RUINED! AS WELL AS MY HUSBANDS BUCK!!
Needless to say not happy. Thank god I wasn’t there, I would have had him mounted to my wall!!

So long story short. The Taxidermist has not told any of his customers and is trying to buy replacement hides for everyone! INCLUDING MY FOX AND HIS BUCK! The guy was never going to call us and tell us anything had happened!!! Thankfully the guy did give us our money back. But I am still so fn pissed. He wasnt going to tell us if my husband hadn't gone up there!

Now I feel obligated to call the cops on this guy and report him for fraud! I mean, yes it was only a fox and a buck... but what if anyone in there has like something crazy like a mountain lion or hell, a lion?! I would sue his a$$ so fast!

I still think I might call the cops... or the game warden...... or someone lol. I just honestly wouldn’t know who to call. Ghost busters maybe?

Sorry, I forgot to post the name of the Taxidermist!

Log Cabin Taxidermy in New Waverly.

If you have used them this past season..... CALL HIM OR GO UP THERE AND GET YOUR MONEY!

That is sad.. I have had some cr$#y work done before, but not something like this! I would find out if he has insurance..I would also contact the game warden and get his opinion, he may not be able to do anything ,but he may..

If the guy would have been a stand up person and called you, I would probably be a little easier on him. Stuff happens, but trying to "pull a fast" one isn't on my list of good practices. How was his demeanor when your hubby spoke with him?? That would have some bearing for me, some.

I have heard of this happening before so you aren't the first ones. Kinda suc4s for every one involved.

Good luck

I can't pass judgement because I don't know the circumstances of the taxidermist. But chances are you wouldn't have known if he had bought replacements, not saying it's right, just saying it happens more than you know. But the Taxi should have called immediatly and given you the option of a refund or replacement.But then some of the taxidermist would have told you that your animals were lost at the tannery or not handled properly, etc. and wouldn't have given a refund or any options. There's a lot of that, that happens also.I would at least give him credit for fessing up and giving you a refund. There are horror stories everywhere about the bad taxidermist. Seems like the stand up guys are a well kept secret.

That's a rough situation, sorry to hear about that

You can't sue cause his freezer went out, it sucks but getting a new cape for the buck is not that big of a deal. Not defending him but stuff happens he should have called, The warden can't do anything cause his freezer died either, it sux but I sure he would rather have mounted them than not.

He said the guy seemed kinda beat but I am still mad. Watching my husband put a 130 class buck on a plaque mount breaks my heart. Especially for a buck in East Texas on public land!!

Not his fault the freezer quit. It can happen to anyone. Yes he should have called you and told you but replacement critters happen way more than you will ever realize.

Heck the meat processor lost my 9 point 2 years ago. It happens.

No reason to put on plaque capes are easy to come by, hell I will get you one if you need it.

Yep. Not that big of a deal on the buck unless there was just something unique about the hide.

The fox I can understand more, being that you want THE fox you shot, not one the taxi picked up somewhere.

The deer mount is all about the horns, as long as those are original it's all good in my book.

Calm Down and Take a Breath.

Did the guy screw up, obviously.
Should he have called and given you the option, obviously.
Could he have lied and refused to do anything, YES it happens all the time, Did he Lie NO he came clean and gave you a refund.
Can your fox and you Husbands deer still be mounted, yes.


Why would you want to go through the hassle of a civil suit and waste everybody's time and efforts over something that has/can be fixed. Why would you waste the Police time when there is nothing they can do, you can't press charges for fraud because you accepted a Refund.

I do think he should have called and gave you the option of getting your money back or getting replacements, but a civil suit would accomplish nothing. If he was buying replacement capes for the deer, it would have come out of his pocket and cut into his profit.

Really sorry about your fox, it was a nice specimen!

Same thing I was thinking.

Foxes are a dime a dozen. You can easily get a new cape for the buck.

Why would you think to call law enforcement? "Officer, I want to report that my taxidermist's freezer went out. Would you shoot him for me".

I'm just being a smart aleck. Not trying to be mean. It's ok to be upset but sometimes in life there are things that happen that are beyond our control.

Tactical Smurf is right on the money. Accidents unfortunately do happen. The big mistake the taxidermist did was not to call you when the incident happened but waiting until you got in touch with him. At least he refunded you the deposit which some taxidermists, I hate to say it, would not have done. I also sent you a PM on this.

Evelyn

GET A ROPE ........it was a dirtbag move, him NOT calling.

You guys are funny, if this happen to you yall would be doing the same thing.

Not really now if it were a stone sheep cape, or big horn sheep cape his arse would be spending lots Of cash to replace but a cape for wt and a dime a dozen fox not really in a issue if it were mine buy me a new wt cape and gray fox is a gray fox

It might not seem like a big deal to some but I believe that if he was a professional taxi shop he should of had safeguards in place . That could be alarms or even thinking that a freezer going out would be very bad and maybe he should check them daily .
I know what it costs me just to get to the woods and hunt. For time off , gas , supplies ,etc , etc . IMO i think a refund and some sort of compensatory damages are in order , even to offer some free taxi work .

No I wouldnt.

Like I said earlier........my meat processor lost my 9 point. Not just the cape but the head and horns too. I let them know I wasnt happy about it but I never even considered calling the police, Game Warden, or filing a law suit against them. I didnt even ask for a refund on the meat. Everyone is human and things like that happen. It sucks but life goes on.

We spend alot of time and money hunting so emotions run high when accidents happen; but thats just what they are accidents.

Anything mechanical can fail and will sooner or later, while he should have called you and let you know what was going down he probably didnt just because of the reaction that some people will have.

Honestly this is a matter to be settled between you and the Taxidermist in a private manner.

If he makes good on it then thats the best he can do, and he will be out money for the replacement capes and with the freezer going out he probably lost thousands of dollars in revenue.

Walk in his shoes for a little bit and give him the chance to make it right.

My brothers last mount (wt) was a scrapper, it turned out neat because of the scars and imperfections. So losing a cape is a big deal to some people.

Well if it the freezer broke you can't turn back the clock so get some new hair and roll with it

I don't agree with some of you who say that it is only a fox and a deer cape which can be replaced easily. It is still someone's trophy. When I shot my first bobcat I was so elated I walked on cloud nine for weeks. It was just a little female and nothing special about her, but she was my first cat. I would have been very upset would I have lost that hide in someone elses freezer. Someone else may have said cats are a dime a dozen. Trophies are very individual and personal things. What might be just ordinary to one might be the trophy of a lifetime to another. We need to respect any and all animals coming through the door. Now with all that said, accidents can and will happen even in the best studios. It is the way those accidents are handled which matters. Keeping your mouth shut for months on end until the client calls the shop is not the way to handle it. He should have called his clients immediately upon discovering the spoiled hides in the freezer. By not doing so it just made a bad situation that much worse. Just my take on this.

Evelyn

I'd be pissed.
Bet that guy would never have called and gotten away with it, if the customer didnt initiate the contact.
Some kind of compensation is in order.
And, a refund of money for services not rendered is not enough.
Costs to get a new cape/usable hide are in order.
Business insurance if any could handle this.
Just like any other business liability.

X2

I am sure he offered to get cape, thts about all he can do

He shoulda called and notified, but the cape is gone and the fox is ruined, but callin the warden, the cops, and suing, REALLY?

What makes you sure he offered to get a cape?

Even if he did so, the cape is not the point. You've mentioned replacement capes several times and even offered one up. Obviously, you wouldn't be concerned with the cape.

This is an ethics question. The guy was deceptive. If he was as straight up as you seem to wish he were, he would have contacted them the day he discovered the mechanical mishap instead of dodging phone calls.

Is this a legal matter? No. Is the guy a chicken*&^$? Yes. The solution is to put the word out and give the guy a lesson in customer service.

Not gonna argue that. I am just trying to offer a solution to a bad situation, I agree he should have notified and bad business.

Agreed the guy should have been on the phone with all his customers as soon as this happened to inform them. But to me the bigger question is how does a guy in the taxidermy business have his freezer go out and not know it before the contents are ruined? A freezer is probably his most important piece of equipment. I know there are alarms on some and if Im in business where I have to rely on freezers and can guarantee you they would have alarms on them. I have lost my freezer before in the dead of summer in my garage and the contents were still fine 4 days later. I would be pissed if this happened to my fox or deer cape. I wouldnt want a replacement. Sorry this happened to you and your husband.

Most taxis have more than one freezer so its understandable he might not open certin freezers for a long period of time depending on which freezer his next project is in.

Freezer alarms are good idea, and my taxi has 8 freezers plus a stand up, and if it was in standup doesn't take long for capes to ruin, leave a door open on a standup for an 1hour ad crap is melted in bottom and lower shelf

With some of the attitudes on here, it's no wonder why some of the taxidermist would have processed the animals, knowing they were bad then when the customer shows up they have a tanned pos and a story of how the animals were mishandled before they arrived at the shop.
There's bad business people and bad customers, an honest man will do the right thing no matter which side of the situation they're on.Someone looking to come out on top in a deal well--keep reading. I would suggest to everyone go find you a taxidermist now, well ahead of the season even if you've never considered having an animal mounted, find out what to expect during the process, then you will have an understanding of what is expected from each party. You will have a relationship started and hopefully will be satisfactory and rewarding experience for both of you. That's why we all hunt isn't it?

I have no issues with my taxidermist, and if his freezer goes out get me a cape and roll on, hell I see people bring in green capes and waterhead deer from hangin upside down And letting their faces fill water, cut armpits, cut off briskets, hacked up capes from skinning, he is right pick your taxidermist and they can also assist you in how to take care your animal for the mount, little off topic, but alot of the jacked up capes come from guys on forum. Now back to topic

We always stress to everyone that calls us to come on out for a visit prior to their hunt and let us talk to them and show them our work. This way the client knows what to expect quality wise as well as how we run our business. It also gives us a chance to go over proper field care and other helpful tips. Surprisingly very few people take us up on that. Convenience factor should not be the deciding factor in chosing a taxidermist and neither should be a low price or super fast turn a round time. Do your homework, that's all I can say.

yeah the same exact thing happened to a rare duck i shot.. i actually forgot about the mount and remembered a few seasons later since i stopped hunting for a couple years and the guy told me his freezer went out also and he lost over 50 animals..

It sucks but like everyone is saying it can happen to anyone..

sorry for your lose!!

Im glad im not a taxidermist. It wouldn't be worth my time for the BS they go through. Get another cape and shoot another gray fox, they are a dime a dozen. If that guy goes bankrupt because he lost a year's worth of work it won't matter anyway.

'


Really

speaking of gray foxes i got two in my freezer im thinking of eating.

what about the case of fire,burglary, flood, where nothing could have been salvaged? would ya'll wanna sue him then?

I'm not defending the guy, but things happen. I understand the emotion that goes into these trophies, but at least he was gonna try and make things right (albeit not saying anything is not going about it the right way)by finding new capes.

new capes are around $60, your husband can get a new cape. I have a buck that I couldnt afford to have mounted when I was 18 getting mounted this year from a cull buck cape.

As far as legalities go, every taxidermist has paperwork that renders them not liable for accidents such as the above mentioned.

Exactly!

That sucks

All i said is the taxi at the least owes that guy a new cape.
The hunter shouldn't have to find one on his own and pay for it.
The taxi should man up and get a new one for the guy.


Who said the taxi had a liability release? Did miss that somewhere.

WOW

All this fuss over a little ten point and a gray fox...He should have called, sure, but it was just an accident.

I think you should make jerky or can them and put them with your SHTF supplies.

from the story it looks like the taxi was in the process of finding an new cape and a fox, but they dropped in on him before he could do so. if they hadn't stopped by they might have never known.

All taxi's have liability releases involving fire, theft, acts of god, etc. Its on the reciept that you sign when you drop off an animal.

First off this was not a usual sized buck for the area. This deer was hunted on public property where you have to walk in through the sand over a mile crossing a river at least 10 times and it's too shallow for even a canoe. We don't use bait/feeders, tree stands, ground blinds, game cameras, no high fences, no ATV's or trucks to take you there. Where we hunt, when you shoot something, guess how you get it back. You cut it up on the spot, put in in bags, then in put it in your back pack and walk out. This is not an easy task. This is not a hunt where you and bubba drive up to your deer stand with your bud light in hand and shoot the first ear tag $2000 buck. We actually have to "hunt" for our deer and there are alot of hours that go into every season. It took us over 10 years to get a buck this big here and that's hunting 20+ days a season, every season. Not to mention this buck had a 21" neck which capes that are this size are not easy to come by nor are they just $60. Most likely we will be forced to have a cape from a northern buck used which is not the same thing, the hair is different length, the coloration is not the same, the overall look will not be the same. Oh and our taxidermist "did not" have a release of liability on any forms we signed.

the sorry for your loss comment cost me a keyboard

call a taxi in san antonio, a buck with a 21" in neck is not uncommon for a mature south texas buck....the one I killed last year was 22".

I you wanna wait till season I'll give you a cape for $60 that is 21"

21" capes are a dime a doze hate to break it to you but that is a fact and you can get them untanned just skinned and frozen all day for $50 and while a nice deer this has gotten blown out of whack, I offered you a cape and the damn hair well it is just hair and if he had gotten the same size cape and color you would have never known not saying it is right but damn the horns are what truly matter you think he was gonna build a special form too, they are all put on the same forms ao truly the cape is not worth getting upset about.

Tx I offered a cape, 21" capes are the norm at my buddies shop? The 24's rolling in from the panhandle are the biguns

I can understand the dissapointment of it not being "your" cape, especially if it was your personal best, but the reality is that many, many deer are mounted with capes that arn't the originals. of course, some deer have unique capes, such as double throat patches, etc....if it was one of these type bucks, it would make a difference, but whats done is done.

I would be thankful that the husband still has his antlers, that they didn't get burned up in a fire or stolen.

Too much drama here but I will add my $0.02. Accidents happen. He should have been up front but he was trying to cover his butt before you caught on. Anyways.

They are 2 animals easily replaceable. Shoot another fox if you just HAVE to have the skin you shot. Then shoot another buck this year and use that cape to remount the antlers with. No biggy.

Oh yea, and having that Bud Light in my hands while in the stand tastes delicious.

Actually they are not that common, most people over exaggerate the size of their deer among other things! The few bucks with 21" inch necks in this area are almost always already used in mounts. Anyone can look up and see the online capes typically offered for sale are 19 inch or less in Texas. Not all deer capes are the same, and a South TX cape does not look like a East TX cape, they are almost always a little different in coloration. Reguardless, anyone who just thanks "oh well just go shoot another one" would not be saying so if it happened to them!

Several people have offered their advice and to help you make the best of a bad situation and you continually choose to ignore it, I wish you would call the Game Warden and Police over the Deal they need a great laugh for Briefing.

Again the guy obviously screwed up

Look on the bright side he could have done what most would have and told you to get bent, judging by how your acting he probably should have.

They are that common at taxidermy shop almost everyday for last 25yrs they are that common I assure you, most are 18 to 20. But 21" capes are common!

half the deer living in east texas are decendants from south texas genetics.

I'd bet money that if he would have not been caught, you wouldnt have noticeced the difference of the cape if he had any sense and used one of the same size.

I feel bad for the taxidermist, he had a major trajedy happen, and your on here slandering his name like he was hitler

X2 and the cape offer is withdrawn as well.

Well, now I tried to chash the Taxi's check and it bounced......... isn't this a wonderful day!

Don't you worry about me. I am one Hell of a resourceful chick. I don't need any help finding a cape. But thanks, your sweet.

Then why the OP to begin with?

If he wrote you a hot check now you have something to take to the DA

try and get them to throw in another $60 so you can get a new cape

First of all, how many people get on here and just talk about nothing. I am sharing a story of something that happened. It didn’t want it to turn into a what region has better deer contest. Plus, I know this taxi has a quite a few people that are going to still be looking for their mounts to come in. Don't get me wrong, he is TRYING to COVER UP his error. HOWEVER, that is a form of fraud. Then to write us a check and say to cash it on Monday... then when we go to cash it, it bounces... and then the teller tells us there is no money in the account..... FRAUD AGAIN!
This was just a simple warning to anyone on here who MIGHT use this Taxi, Log Cabin Taxidermy, that this is going on and the guy has no money to pay for it. There was no agreement or sheet that said that he is not liable for damages or loss. This guy lives on the property that his taxidermy shop is on. As a matter of fact it is about 25 yards from his house. He was home when this outage happened. I am sorry but I have every right as a customer to be angry about this.

I get that this can and does happen, and if it had happened to any one that has commented on this thread they would have posted the same thing.

I don’t have a problem getting another fox this year, or my husband getting another deer. It is all about how the guy went around covering up the whole thing. Grow a pair and fess up to your mistakes! That's all I ask. If the taxi can't handle the customer getting angry then he is in the wrong business..... Actually he clearly is in the wrong business since he clearly didn’t have insurance to cover any losses.

I have every right to come on here and share my experience with a Taxi just like everyone else who comes on here and shares an experience with an outfitter.

So THANKS!

By the way if you call he says he is out of business.

Also not saying you shouldn't be upset, just life is too short and tried to give you a solution not complaining about you posting it might have saved someone else some grief

Actually they ARE that common. The way taxidermists measure deer are an eye to nose measurement, a measurement tight around the neck just below the head and another about 2" down from that. The deer in the pic my be 21 around the swell but not directly under the head.

What I'm saying is a cape the size of your deer is easy to find and not too terribly special.

I would definitely call the Game Warden and report it to them. I'm sure they will make the taxidermist fix your problem, please report the results here.

This thread has gone full on retard.

Come one guys, clearly the taxi is in the wrong. It is not hard to monitor your freezers to make sure they don't go out. You can have thermometers installed, and you can be alerted if one fails. If that is the case, you run and get some dry ice, pack your freezers, then go buy some new ones and get them up and running.

If for some reason you can't save the capes, you call your customers and explain the situation. You offer to replace the cape, if it isn't possible, you offer a refund and pay to have the cape replaced.

You can't say they are a dime a dozen. Not everyone has the opportunity to shoot foxes all the time. Heck, I don't want someone else's cape put on my buck. It is a different deer. I have never understood people that mix and match capes and antlers. I want the buck to look like it did when I shot it. Same with getting antlers fixed, I'm not for it.

The taxi screwed up, and you are bashing this lady for it. Imagine if you didn't have a whole trophy room full of animals, and they lost your first buck, you'd be pissed off for sure. There is a lot more sentimental meaning to these animals when you only have a few, than if you have a whole room of trophies.

TS has every right to be pissed. Too bad there is nothing to be done about the fox. You'll just have to go shoot another one. Hopefully this is a lesson to use a trusted taxidermist. I believe my taxidermist lives on site. That way if his freezers go out, he can get it taken care of.

I understand why you're upset, but you have got to calm down. A lot of people have been generous enough to offer help, but continuing to be upset about everything is just putting you in a deeper hole. And be cautious what you post about someone or someone's business. Again, we get that you're angry, but your negative comments on a public forum can backfire on you tenfold.

I see you're in Huntsville, and I have several contacts there. If you need the name of a good taxi, I can get you some names.

Good luck.

Problem here is that people feel differently about their "trophies"- some think it's no big deal and others want their actual animal.
It's not exactly like having a baby switched at the hospital, or getting the wrong wedding photos but it is aggravating and could have been handled better by the taxi.
Friend of mine killed a really nice buck and took great pains to take good care caping, icing, etc. When he got it back from the taxi it looked like the buck was peeping through a fenceboard hole because his neck was about 6" long then on a plaque. You could see where the cape had rotted because of the taxi's "freezer malfunction"- at least that's what he said.

me and BMD made offers to provide her with a same-size cape, she didn't want it.

my offer still stands if she is willing to wait till season

I hunt public land as well, and hunt more than that many days than you say you do every year. To assume that just because I shoot bigger deer than you do means that I am paying for guided big buck hunts is ignorant. Maybe the reason I have shot many bucks that score much higher than that one is because I am a better and more dedicated hunter. It is silly to assume that any hunter than doesn't consider a 130" deer a big deer is paying trophy fees and sitting in a blind with a guide.

Seriously the horns are the trophy not the hair

If I am wrong then everyone should mount does

What is there was something about the cape that you liked? What if there was a double throat patch or something like that?

BMD, if the hair isn't the trophy, why do you even bother with a shoulder mount? Why not go straight to an antler or euro mount?

Cause I want the head but could really careless about the cape as long as it has one

maybe cause the euro mounts don't look as good????

And who's to say the hair isn't a trophy?

The fact is that some people like the animal to be what they shot. No doctoring the deer up, don't enlarge the neck, don't fix that busted brow tine, etc. If you like to use a different, better looking cape, that is fine, but it is a big deal to some people. I'd think BMD of all people would realize that people can be different, heck, he likes Dodge trucks.

i agree with that, i would prefer to use my original cape, but if something happened, as it did in this case, I would still want to mount it using a different cape of the same size.

I would use my cape but not the end of the world if I had to change, but fixing tines I agree is

You know I can feel her pain, personally If I shot something that I thought warranted a Shoulder mount I would be above upset if this happened. To me just any old cape wouldn't do, if I was that no plused by my tropy I would have had it euro mounted.

as i come to the end of this post.... i am just getting off the phone with the mason county attorney...... who is still dealing with my version of this story from 2008. over 100 people involved...

all i can say is this..... a cape is not a cape. i settled for what was available..... imagine a hill country deer with an ohio cape.....(i only had it mounted for my son's sake...his first hunting trip... not his deer, but first hunting trip )

kinda strange to look at , but makes a good conversation piece.

so .... be mad..... but be happy you got your antlers back.... there are several people involved in the case with me that never got any part of their CHILDS FIRST DEER returned to them..

just my 2 cents

You said there was no sheet of paper signed with agreements, liabilities, promises, etc......

So you actually have nothing to give to the DA regarding the TAXI part of it except the hot check correct???

.....and here we are back at "go shop around for a taxidermist, now",, before you need one print out this post ask him/her what to expect. There's no need to settle for anything less, or something you wouldn't be happy with. Knowledge will set you free!

You volunteering for the job

If the couple are volunteering to pay it sounds like to me

AGAIN I will repeat it for the slower folks.


Did the guy screw up ? Yes
Should he have called and informed of the problem ? Yes
Was it an unethical business move Yes
Would they had known the difference if his plan worked ? Judging by comments made by her probably not
Did he refund the money Yes, granted the check bounced which he could have withdrawn funds after seeing this Drama fest.

Everybody can Back off of BMD He offered on several occasions to help by finding a Taxi and even donating a new Cape to make the best of a bad situation and not one person thanked him or acknowledged it, I personally think that was a very stand up thing to do for somebody he didn't even know.

Next
I can assure you there is more to this story than is being told, judging by the childish behavior or response to some Adult responses left.

Take some personal responsibility If I shot a trophy white tail I would only use a trusted and recommended Taxidermy Artist, if this happened Would I be mad sure for all of about 5 minutes, especially if they where willing to fix it and people offered to help.

On the case of Fraud you have no CASE, at most you can file charges for theft by check with the D.A.'s Office. No D.A. is going to waste his time with this, they would plead it down to the Theft by Check charge.

Holy crap calcreek you better delete this before someone sees you agreeing with me